Terrell, Texas – In 1966, local officials from Terrell began discussing a new State Highway (SH) 34 bridge which would span the Union Pacific Railroad and US Highway 80 by requesting a feasibility study. 47 years later, local, county, and state officials held a historical bridge dedication on top of the newly constructed $15.3 million bridge.
The new SH 34 bridge is the first bridge in Kaufman County to span both the Union Pacific Railroad and US Highway 80, also known as Moore Avenue within Terrell, not counting the highway connector Spur 557.
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Only seconds into the bridge dedication and during Terrell Mayor Hal Richards' opening remarks, a Union Pacific Railroad train approached the bridge with its horn blaring – signifying the beginning of a new era for transportation in Terrell.
“This bridge does a lot of things. This bridge and this roadway gets a lot of through traffic off of our city streets,” said Mayor Richards. “Now we have a way no matter what that we can get emergency equipment back and forth. It gives a safer route to school buses and other people as they're traveling back and forth from north to south.”
After the initial request for a feasibility study in 1966, eight years passed before any more progress was made. In 1972, a minute order was made which authorized advanced planning studies for improvements to SH 34 within Kaufman County. In 1974 and 1975, public notices of construction and improvements to SH 34 were published in the Terrell Tribune and the Kaufman Herald.
In 1979, another minute order was tendered authorizing the acquisition of right-of-way for approximately 3.1 miles of land, nearly 75 acres, north and south of US Highway 80 in Terrell, Texas. Right of way acquisition began in 1980 and continued into 1990 before progress on the project came to a halt.
In 1998, the relocation of SH 34 was restarted with the review of schematic design and environmental documents. On March 25, 2005, a preliminary right-of-way map was completed and the environmental review process continued through 2009.
In October of 2011, construction officially began on the new SH 34 bridge. Two years after the construction began, the bridge dedication was held on November 15, 2013, at 10:00 a.m.
“This is a great day for not only the City of Terrell but certainly for Kaufman County as this is the very first of many projects thanks to the voters of Kaufman County which approved a $56 million road transportation bond last week,” said Kaufman County Judge Bruce Wood.
"We have to deal with the reality of our transportation needs in the future,” said Senator Bob Deuell. “This will benefit Terrell economically and will help those of us who travel a lot.”
The dedication concluded with several historic cars crossing the bridge carrying local officials followed by a procession of vehicles from those who attended the dedication. The bridge is expected to open to normal traffic before the end of the month after construction crews complete a fence along the top of the bridge.
Only seconds into the bridge dedication and during Terrell Mayor Hal Richards' opening remarks, a Union Pacific Railroad train approached the bridge with its horn blaring – signifying the beginning of a new era for transportation in Terrell. “This bridge does a lot of things. This bridge and this roadway gets a lot of through traffic off of our city streets,” said Mayor Richards. “Now we have a way no matter what that we can get emergency equipment back and forth. It gives a safer route to school buses and other people as they're traveling back and forth from north to south.”
After the initial request for a feasibility study in 1966, eight years passed before any more progress was made. In 1972, a minute order was made which authorized advanced planning studies for improvements to SH 34 within Kaufman County. In 1974 and 1975, public notices of construction and improvements to SH 34 were published in the Terrell Tribune and the Kaufman Herald.
In 1979, another minute order was tendered authorizing the acquisition of right-of-way for approximately 3.1 miles of land, nearly 75 acres, north and south of US Highway 80 in Terrell, Texas. Right of way acquisition began in 1980 and continued into 1990 before progress on the project came to a halt.
In 1998, the relocation of SH 34 was restarted with the review of schematic design and environmental documents. On March 25, 2005, a preliminary right-of-way map was completed and the environmental review process continued through 2009.
In October of 2011, construction officially began on the new SH 34 bridge. Two years after the construction began, the bridge dedication was held on November 15, 2013, at 10:00 a.m.
“This is a great day for not only the City of Terrell but certainly for Kaufman County as this is the very first of many projects thanks to the voters of Kaufman County which approved a $56 million road transportation bond last week,” said Kaufman County Judge Bruce Wood.
"We have to deal with the reality of our transportation needs in the future,” said Senator Bob Deuell. “This will benefit Terrell economically and will help those of us who travel a lot.”
The dedication concluded with several historic cars crossing the bridge carrying local officials followed by a procession of vehicles from those who attended the dedication. The bridge is expected to open to normal traffic before the end of the month after construction crews complete a fence along the top of the bridge.